Crow's Nest
by Silver Hyacinth
Summary: Two boys struggle desperately to survive in a world that is overrun with the undead, and when fate brings them together, both will be tested, both will suffer; but an apocalypse is much harder to survive on your own... and in a world full of corpses, crows roam free. — Kagehina. Zombie Apocalypse AU.
1. Prologue: Origins

**Prologue**

 **•**

 **Origins**

* * *

The day it happened, Hinata was on a bus headed for Tokyo.

The sky was a clear cloudless blue speckled with white cotton ball clouds and the sun shone golden on the horizon. Outside the window, the countryside passed by in a blur. Japanese pines and cedars stood majestically in thick clusters of dark foliage, surrounded by patches of wildflowers, Nanohanas blossoming among the fields of white like pieces of gold betwixt pearls. Ravens flew among the branches of the trees like shadows, filling the air with their piercing cries.

The day it happened, there was no warning; no tingling sensation in the air that gave away the coming catastrophe.

Hinata was resting his head against the cool glass of the window and watched a family of red foxes dart between the flowers before they were sucked away again. He was bored. They'd been on the bus for three hours already and the din of chattering children and the faint hum of music from several pairs of headphones was beginning to drive him slightly mad, not to mention the muffled snoring of Izumi beside him. He wasn't sure how much farther they had to go, but he prayed it was less than an hour, because any longer than that and he might jump out the window.

He hadn't even wanted to go on this stupid school trip, anyway, but Natsu had been so excited, she'd made him go _and_ promise to take pictures of Tokyo Tower and all the other scenery. He couldn't say no to her, especially when she used her trademarked Little Sister eyes and pouty lips. He was six years her senior, but sometimes Hinata thought Natsu was much more devious than he was. She'd have a future in politics if she kept it up.

"Hey, Shōyō," Kōji tapped on his shoulder from one seat behind. "You can switch places with me if you don't want to be drooled on anymore."

"Sure, thanks." Hinata carefully threw his bag over the seat and carefully maneuvered over Izumi and into the aisle. Kōji hopped over and dropped down in his place while Hinata stepped over a bag to reach his seat. "Kōji, make sure he doesn't choke on his own spit. His ghost would never let us hear the—" He was cut off mid-sentence as the bus jerked suddenly, nearly knocking him off his feet. Before he could recover, they swerved again and he fell onto the seat face-first.

Straightening himself up, Hinata stared out the window at countryside that was speeding by much faster than before. The bus turned sharply and plowed straight off the road and into the midst of the trees. Animals darted out of the way as they barreled between a line of cedars and over a shallow stream before plowing straight into a pine. Hinata was thrown back against the seat with enough force to knock the breath out of him, doubling over as the bus stilled and the screams tapered off into a shocked silence that left his ears ringing.

The teachers sitting at the front of the bus rushed to calm the students as Hinata stared out the window, feeling his hands shake as he placed them against the window. Outside, a bloody figure stumbled through the gap between the trees and towards the bus. Hinata pulled himself up farther and pushed the window down. "Oh my god..." He turned to shout up the aisle. "Hey, there's— there's somebody injured out there! I think we hit someone!"

"Everybody, stay calm!" The bus driver, who had luckily avoided any serious injuries, opened the doors and exited his seat. "Stay here and I'll go and see what happened. Everything will be alright."

As he left, Izumi, who had been roused from his sleep by the crash, clutched his arms to his chest and stared out the window worriedly. "What— What's happening? Did we crash?"

"I think that guy was on the road and the driver swerved to avoid him," Kōji supplied uncertainly. "I didn't really see, but don't worry. We'll be back on the road in no ti—"

A girl screamed, cutting him off, and others quickly joined her, pointing out the windows and crowding towards the right half of the bus. As Hinata followed their gazes, he covered his mouth to keep a panicked cry from escaping. The bloody man was eating their bus driver. There was no other way to explain it. He had his hands clamped to his shoulders and had torn out a huge chunk of flesh from his neck, sending blood splattering across the bus windows in a spray of red that blocked their view of the carnage.

As kids began to cry, the teachers at the front ran outside to help the driver, leaving them cowering inside alone. Izumi pulled his knees to his chest and buried his head between them, body shaking with sobs as Kōji tried in vain to comfort him. Hinata kept staring dumbly at the blood dripping slowly down the windows, feeling his heartbeat in his ears as his breath came in shallow gasps. This wasn't really happening, was it? Surely he was asleep in the seat next to Izumi and would wake up anytime to find that it had all been a dream, right?

But even as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to tune out the screaming and crying of his fellow students, Hinata knew that the tightness in his chest and the soreness of whiplash in his neck meant that this was all real. All he could do was keep breathing and staring blankly at the bus doors, waiting for the teachers to come back; say that this was all some kind of freak accident, that everything would be fine.

But the teachers never came back. Hinata stared straight ahead, the outside noise falling away as a bloody hand wrapped around the door, moving as if in slow motion. Hinata sat there in silence until a mangled body threw itself into the bus and lunged on a girl sitting in the first row of seats. The world seized back into motion and he hurled himself into the aisle, dragging Izumi and Kōji towards the back doors, followed by a heavy flow of other students. He pulled the door handle but it wouldn't budge an inch, no matter how much he pushed and tugged at it.

"Move!" Kōji shoved him out of the way and kicked the door with all his strength. Finally, the latch broke and the door swung open to allow the mass of bodies to spill out into the clearing. Not knowing what else to do, Hinata followed Kōji towards the road, dragging Izumi behind him. The other students screamed and cried behind them but Hinata kept running, feeling tears stream down his face as he was smacked in the face by foliage and scraped his arms against rough tree branches.

They were only a few feet from the road when Hinata's hand was jerked roughly back and he fell, slamming his shoulder against a rock as Izumi's hand slipped free of his grasp. Hinata stared at him through vision hazy with pain as the bus driver pulled him backward by the ankles.

"Izumi!" Kōji ran past Hinata and punched the driver in the face, but he didn't fall, grabbing Kōji's arm and biting into it like it was a slab of meat.

Kōji, Hinata, and Izumi all screamed at once, the sound mingling together to form a terrible shrieking noise, like nails against a chalkboard. Hinata covered his left ear, unable to move his right arm as he stared at his friends, unable to help them as the bus driver ripped open their necks like they were paper thin. He screamed endlessly into the blue sky until his lungs gave out, leaving him gasping and sobbing on the ground.

The bus driver moved past his friends' lifeless bodies and stumbled towards him, staring with lifeless, bloodshot eyes, pupils dilated to the point of disappearing. Hinata forced his body to move, cradling his injured arm to his chest as he scrambled backward, feet scrabbling for purchase on the dirt and smooth rocks covering the forest floor. The screams of his friends and classmates echoed in his head as his back hit a tree and his good hand searched the ground for some sort of weapon.

 _I can't die here. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't._

Fingers striking something hard, Hinata picked it up right as the man lunged for him. Swinging blindly and in a panic, he struck soft flesh and heard a loud crack. He kept swinging, pushing himself against the tree trunk like it was a life support system, screaming and crying, bashing a bus driver's skull in with a rock until he finally stopped gurgling and fell to the ground, unmoving.

His breath came in tight, short gasps and Hinata's trembling fingers let go of the slippery rock, fingers sore from holding it so tightly. He stared down at his hand, heartbeat hammering in his hears as he stared at the thick red-black blood staining it, seeping into every pore and line of his hand and underneath his fingernails. Shakily, he got to his feet, staring past his bloody hand at the bus, which was surrounded by the bodies of his classmates, some of which were beginning to rise and stumble around, groaning.

The panic filled him so fast it was like a shot of adrenaline to the heart. Hinata stumbled in his haste to turn around, sobbing out an apology to his friends as he tore through the forest and clawed his way out onto the empty road. As he stood in the center of the empty highway, off in the distance, smoke streamed into the sky like ink seeping through ocean water from the burning remains of Tokyo. The whole city was in flames, and even from miles away, Hinata could hear the screams.

* * *

The day it happened, Kageyama was lying on his stomach in the middle of a forest in Aomori.

"Why'd we have to go on this stupid trip _now_?" he asked his father irritably, staring out the opening in the hunting stand with his head resting on his arms. It was freezing, even through the three layers his mother had made him wear _underneath_ the camouflage hunting jacket. The chill wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't already been lying there waiting for a deer to show up for _three hours_. It was beginning to get dark and he wanted nothing more than to go back home and eat some hot curry.

"It's hunting season, Tobio. Besides, don't you want to hang out with your old man?"

"We can hang out someplace normal, like in a park or somewhere that _isn't_ freezing and full of bugs."

His father sighed and adjusted his Howa 89, offering Kageyama a reassuring pat on the back. "Okay, if we don't get something in the next half hour, I promise we'll go." He grinned and nudged him teasingly. "Come on, this isn't all bad. Hunting is exhilarating your first time."

"I'll try to be more excited," Kageyama said dryly. He stared back down at the ground with a sigh, wiggling his arms to try and get the feeling back into them. Despite his prejudices against the sport, it made his dad happy, so Kageyama hadn't been able to refuse when he'd asked him to go on this weekend-long trip. So far, they'd neither seen nor caught a single thing, and he was beginning to think his dad was lying to him about it being hunting season.

Before he could raise the claim, however, something caught his eyes out in the dark forest. It was too far away to see clearly, but it was definitely too big to be a bird or fox. It was moving slowly through the underbrush towards them and Kageyama felt a spark of excitement. He grabbed his own gun and set it up, aiming at the blurry shape. Maybe they'd catch something after all.

Right as his finger squeezed the trigger, his father shoved the gun to the side, shouting at him as the shot ricocheted off into the forest, missing its target. "You idiot, don't shoot! It's a person!" He tossed his gun aside and crawled across the floor towards the ladder leading out of the camp. Kageyama followed after him with rushed apologies, strapping his gun across his back as he dropped down to the mossy floor beside his father.

He raised his gloved hand to wave at the vaguely person-shaped figure, who had wandered closer but was still cast in shadows by the tree canopy. "Hey, sorry about that!" he called out, voice echoing through the forest eerily. "My son thought you were a deer! You're not hurt, are you? Though you shouldn't be wandering around in dark clothes out here," he muttered the last part to himself.

The stranger said nothing, the only sound in the darkness the rustling of the trees and chirp of crickets. A bad feeling began to develop in Kageyama's chest: Something was wrong. "Dad... maybe we should just leave him alone. Something about this feels weird... We should go back."

"No, son, we should make sure _the person you almost shot_ is okay," he said through gritted teeth, nudging Kageyama forward with a stern look. "Go apologize to him before we get sued."

Kageyama allowed himself to be dragged forward, but the tight feeling didn't leave his chest. Something about this was off. They were in the middle of the woods, miles from civilization, and the sun was setting. Why would someone be out there wandering around alone? If he were a hunter, he would've known to wear something fluorescent so he didn't get mistaken for an animal. "Dad, I _really_ think we should go back now."

"Nonsense. Apologize before I— _Ach_!" Without warning, the stranger lunged for them, latching onto Kageyama's dad's shoulder and biting deep into his shoulder. "What the _hell_ — Tobio, get him off me!"

Going to his father's aid, Kageyama pulled the gun from his back and rammed it into the man's back. His jaw unclenched and Kageyama's dad stumbled back, clutching his wound tightly to stop the bleeding. He pulled Tobio back by the arm and roughly shoved him forward. "Run! Get back to the camp!"

They sprinted through the woods back towards the hunting stand, Kageyama's breath rattling in his chest as his gun thwacked against his leg with every step. What had just happened? What kind of freak wandered around at night biting people? His dad would probably need a tetanus shot after that nasty encounter. Who was getting sued now?

As they reached the ladder, Kageyama strung his rifle back over his shoulders and started climbing. He expected his father to be right behind him, but as he laid a hand against the rungs, he doubled over and let out a loud grunt of pain, falling to his knees in the dirt. Kageyama started to climb back down noticing his distress, but his father waved him on. "No! Go up there and shoot that guy. It's just this damn shoulder. I'll be fine."

He debated for a moment, but Kageyama knew he couldn't deny his dad's orders and pulled himself up into the stand, crawling across to his father's prepped sniper rifle and pulling the scope to his eye. It took him only a moment to set his sights on the stranger, who was lumbering towards their camp clumsily. He aimed the scope at his skull and released a tense breath, rolling his shoulders.

He'd never actually shot anything before. His dad had given him multiple lessons, and he'd fired on test dummies many times, but actually shooting something, let alone a person, was slightly terrifying. But it was this guy or them, so he released his hesitation in a single breath and squeezed the trigger. The man's lifeless body crumpled to the ground and he pulled his eye from the scope to crawl back to the ladder. "Dad! I shot him!"

His father responded only with a groan. He had collapsed on the ground, blood seeping from his shoulder to create a pool of muddy red in the dirt. Kageyama quickly climbed down and knelt beside him, placing his hands over the wound to staunch the bleeding. "Dad, w-what can I do? Should I call an ambulance?"

"No..." He gripped Kageyama's hands, dragging them away from his wound. "Son, listen... I think something's... happening to me. I know this is hard, but you need to... take that gun and— and shoot me."

"No, I— I can't do that!" Kageyama protested. "Why would you say that?!"

"Tobio... I can feel something changing in me." He gripped Kageyama's hand and looked into his eyes pleadingly. "Please, Tobio... I don't want to hurt you... You need to shoot me before I change."

"Change? What— what do you mean? I don't understand." He tried to move his hands back over the wound but his father wouldn't release him. "Please, let me help you!"

"The only way you can help me... is to shoot me." His eyes closed as he struggled to draw breath, fingers trembling over Kageyama's. "Hurry, Tobio..." He squeezed his hand. "Please... it's alright." He reached for the gun on Kageyama had tossed on the ground beside him and forced it into his hands, pressing the barrel against his forehead. "Do it, son. It's okay. It's okay."

Kageyama squeezed his eyes shut, feeling tears slide down his cheeks as his forefinger trembled against the trigger. How could he shoot his father? Why did he have to? He didn't understand any of this. He didn't have to die just because some weirdo bit him. Why was he acting like this? "I can't do it... I love you, I can't do it..."

"His father sighed, a smile flickering across his face as his hand covered the one Kageyama held against the gun's trigger. Tears clouded his eyes as he looked up at him, free hand cupping his face. "I'm sorry, Tobio... I love you. I love you so much." As he closed his eyes, his finger squeezed over Kageyama's and the gun fired.

His hand dropped to the ground, lifeless, and Kageyama hunched over his father's lifeless body, sobbing into his blood-stained shirt. It took him an hour to get rid of all his tears, and another for him to collect himself enough to climb back up the ladder and get their supplies. From the top of the stand, he could see the city line of Sendai in the distance.

Smoke rose above the horizon, a dark stain against the indigo sky. As Kageyama stood, his father's gun cold in his hands, he knew that nothing would ever be the same again.


	2. 3 Years Later

**01**

 **•**

 **3 Years Later**

* * *

Hinata crouched atop an old RV staring out at the desolate landscape of Nagoya with a pensive expression. He was supposed to be looking for shops to raid for food and medicine, but he'd gotten caught up in the nostalgia of the ruined city. Broken husks of cars littered the road, pavement cracked and bleached from the sun. Weeds and wildflowers had taken over the one sprawling cityscape, ivy creating a home in the shells of old skyscrapers and flowers blooming among the cracks in the asphalt. Sparrows made nests in the hollowed-out shells of old traffic lights.

It was sort of poetic, Hinata thought, that so many living things could thrive among so much death.

But he couldn't stew in feelings forever. He straightened up and searched through the line of shops for a pharmacy, figuring it was best to secure meds first. It was hard to find antibiotics three years after the Decimation—AKA the apocalypse that destroyed Japan and the rest of the mortal world several years ago. Hinata hadn't had much need for medicines so far, but he figured it couldn't hurt to have some lying in round the next time he happened upon a cold. A flu in the zombie apocalypse pretty much meant your head on a plate.

Luckily, there were a Vdrug a few feet down the block, and Kanayama Station was only a few feet away, which would have the rest of the supplies he needed. Retrieving his pack from the roof of the RV, Hinata slid down the hood, slinging his rifle over his shoulder and retrieving a machete from his backpack. As he walked down the street, he mimicked hitting a baseball, watching the edges of the street for signs of zombies. It was late in the evening, and typically they only wandered around late at night or early in the morning, so Hinata figured he would be safe if he stayed in the middle of the road where he had free range to attack in every direction.

As he reached the Vdrug, he stepped through the shattered glass door and approached the first set of shelves, which had mostly been picked clean. He retrieved only a single bottle of painkillers from the first shelf and waded further into the wreckage of the shop, picking aside shards of broken glass and empty drug packages. Hinata picked up a few packs of gauze pads and bandages as he headed towards the shelves farthest in the back, where he was more likely to find the antibiotics.

Just as he'd predicted, there were several bottles on the lowest shelves and Hinata stocked up on antibiotics, beta-blockers, aspirin, and diuretics. Hinata shoved them all in his pack victoriously, skipping back towards the front of the shop and heading towards Kanayama Station. A slight wind had picked up and he pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head, covering his mouth with a black bandanna, attempting to conceal his scent as much as possible. Luckily, a storm cloud was brewing on the horizon, which would provide enough cover to get him to the city limits after he got what he needed.

As Hinata reached the entrance to Kanayama Station, the first drops began to fall, coating the landscape in a veil of gray. He ducked into the first clothing store he saw to escape the downpour and dropped his pack behind the counter, keeping the machete strapped to his hip as he wandered farther into the store, stripping off his jacket as he went. The racks were still full, clothes not being the number one priority in Zombie World. Hinata usually gathered new clothes every few days: it was way easier than having to wash them.

After changing out of dirty jeans into joggers and pulling on a new gray T-shirt, he gathered some more clothes and returned to the front of the store, shoving them deep into his backpack as he pulled on his old cotton jacket and covered his head and mouth again before braving the rain. Next stop was food, which he a restaurant a few shops down, stocking up on dry goods and nonperishables.

His backpack was significantly heavier when he left, but food was definitely a burden Hinata was willing to bear. Besides, he'd made camp only a few miles away, so he wouldn't have to carry it far. Unfortunately, the rain was so heavy, it soaked him through and through, obscuring the city in a dark, dizzying cloud of water. Hinata frowned at the sky as he hunkered lower in his coat. It seemed like the type of storm that could last for days, which meant he wouldn't be able to move on until it passed.

It was unwise to stay in one place for too long, but it looked like he would have no choice. At the rate this rain was going, it would make traveling like trying to survive Noah's Ark. Maybe if he found a raincoat... But with that added bulk, he'd be too weighed down if he needed to run. Looked like there really was no other choice.

Oh well. At least his camp was sheltered. It was in an old hotel building a few blocks away, one with a view of the whole city from the roof that was a great spot to scout from. It was one of the only tall buildings that were still standing at its full height, and some of its windows were even still intact. It was probably the best spot he could've found in the whole city, although he hadn't planned on staying more than a day or two. If the storm continued, he'd have to switch locations. What a drag.

As he reached the hotel's broken entryway, Hinata stepped inside, treading carefully over the broken glass that littered the scuffed marble floor. He ducked into the stairwell, which was half-collapsed and dripping with water, and carefully skirted past a fallen piece of ceiling debris to edge his way up to the sturdy part of the stairs. Hinata's camp was seven floors up, where he'd set up a tent close to a window. As he plopped down on his ratty sleeping bag, he squinted out into the rain.

There was an odd feeling in the air: a feeling like something was about to change.

* * *

Kageyama sat on the hood of a shiny black Acura, twirling a pistol between his fingers and trying to entertain himself. He'd been sitting there for three hours already and not a single person, dead or alive, had shown up. He was itching to shoot something but this storm had come out of nowhere and there'd been no zombie activity since, leaving him stewing in boredom.

His employers—the very wealthy Madoka family—had hired him a few months ago to guard their mansion along with four others. The job was simple, consisting mainly of shooting any zombies that came close to the electrified fence and dissuading rowdy survivors who clamored for a chance to get inside the highly-secured estate grounds. It was already pretty boring, but when a storm like this came along and drove away all the zombies, it was much worse. There was absolutely nothing to do, which was why Kageyama could get away with sitting in the expansive garage with the door open, staring out at the downpour.

He raised a knee and slung his arm around it, rolling his eyes back in his head and sighing through his teeth. Maybe he could shoot one of his fellow guards and pretend it was an accident. They'd been pissing him off recently and he was known for a short temper, especially so when his patience was running thin. But if he shot someone, he'd probably lose this job, and it paid him in food and guns, so that wasn't ideal. He'd just have to wait until a zombie or a civilian showed up.

From above, an arc of lightning came down and struck the iron fence. Kageyama watched in mild surprise as it cracked and fizzed, blowing sparks before it whirred and shut off, along with the lights of the garage and all the others in the house. He hopped off the car and hefted his father's gun over his shoulder, heading out into the rain with a weary sigh. "Power outage. Figures."

As Kageyama watched the house, the four other guards came sprinting outside and entered the utility shed, no doubt to try and restore the power. They had backup generators, but as he'd gathered, they hadn't needed to use them for a while. Kageyama wasn't all that trusting in generators to begin with, not to mention ones that hadn't been used in months. Oh well. It didn't really matter. He'd protect them until he couldn't, then he'd move on again, just like always.

He'd made a rule book for himself when he realized his family was gone and he'd be alone in the apocalypse, and rule number one was look out for you, and only you. Trusting or relying on others would only get him killed, so Kageyama had a policy that he would forge relationships with someone else only if the alliance were beneficial, like his current arrangement with the Madokas. However, if they died, he'd waste no guilt over it. He'd raid their house, take everything he needed, and kill anyone who tried to stop him. A policy of indifference was a valuable asset in the apocalypse.

Now, for instance, he watched the backup generators kick in from his spot by the gates and ignored the glares from the other guards as they headed back to their posts. Most of them didn't like him, probably because he felt they were beneath him and therefore didn't deign to speak with them. He stuck to his own business and didn't follow their rules, which seemed to rile them, for some reason. He had no reason to be nice to them, so he wasn't sure what they got so mad about.

Nevertheless, he did his job well, which suited him just fine. All he had to do was climb up something tall and shoot anything that was threatening. He'd had a natural talent for sniping from the start, and his skills had only evolved since then. That was the reason the Madoka family had picked him up: his excellent sharpshooter skills. That was probably the only thing that kept his coworkers from messing with him: the fact that he had a reputation for shooting first and talking later.

In the first year after the Decimation, he'd make a name for himself by going around and cleaning out infested weapons stores. He wasn't quite sure why everyone was so impressed. It was easy. All he had to do was snipe the zombies he could from windows and then pike the rest. Whatever the case, he'd become well-known fast, and his small amount of fame had landed him a lot of hired jobs over three years: enough to amass quite an impressive arms collection.

Long story short, Kageyama had a pretty good life for someone in a wasteland crawling with brain-dead idiots. He made a killing because he knew how to be smart, which also made him dangerous. He loved being dangerous. It kept idiots away from him and powerful people close by; the perfect equation for survival. Fall seven times, stand up eight, as it were.

"Kageyama, are you just going to stand there like a space cadet for the rest of the day?" One of his comrades—arguably the most tolerable—approached from the utility shed, slinging his rifle over his back. "There's been a stranger spotted in a hotel nearby. We're to be on high alert until he leaves town again."

Kageyama clicked his tongue and slunk past him with a scowl. "They're worried about one guy? Whatever. I'll take the roof."

As the other guard ducked back into the house, Kageyama climbed the ladder attached to the side of the mansion's eastern-facing wall and slid down atop one of the window dormers, lying flat on his stomach and placing his rifle flat on the tiles, squinting through the scope at the cityscape of Nagoya sprawling out around them in a playground of broken buildings and cracked pavement.

The rain tingled against the skin of his neck and slid down his back, and as thunder rumbled up ahead and lightning crackled in the distance, Kageyama pulled the hood of his trench coat over his head and pulling his looped gray scarf over his mouth and nose, feeling moisture condense on the fabric as he readjusted his position, loosening his shoulders and angling his gun farther over the roof's edge. The constant downpour made it hard to track any figures through the haze, but on the distance, he could faintly pick out a black blob creeping out of a gutted skyscraper.

Frowning, he adjusted the scope, and as it zoomed outwards, he inhaled sharply. A horse of corpses extracted themselves from the shadows of buildings and headed in a horde down the street. He fired a few shots into the mob, but the second one body fell, another replaced it. Kageyama cursed and pulled himself back across the roof, looping his gun around his shoulder as he slid down the ladder and banged noisily into the mansion.

Whatever was coming, it certainly wasn't good.


	3. First Meeting

**02**

 **•**

 **First Meeting**

* * *

Several sharp gunshots roused Hinata from his slumber and he bolted upright, fingers fumbling for his gun as his eyes flew around wildly, seeking the threat. He slid over to the window and peered down at the street far below, eyes piercing through the rain. His eyes widened and he gripped his gun tightly, staring down out the window in disbelief. The street was completely covered by a wave of zombies, packed so tightly together, barely an inch of asphalt was visible between them. How had a horde of this size formed so quickly?

Packing up his stuff and shoving it all in his bag, Hinata readied his gun and made his way back to the stairwell, crawling his way to the very top and breaking free into the rain on the roof. He slid onto his stomach at the edge and used his scope to peer down at the horde. He was too far up for them to notice him, and they appeared to be drawn to something a few meters down the block. Hinata trailed his scope far to the left and focused on what seemed to be the object of their attention: a large estate surrounded by a sparking electric fence.

"That must be what's attracting them," he muttered to himself. As more gunshots were fired from the mansion into the crowd of undead, Hinata located the shooter: a black-clad figure hunched low over a protruding window, sniping all the zombies he could get his hands on. As he kept shooting, four more individuals exited the house and approached the gate, firing their own guns out into the horde.

Hinata pushed himself to a sitting position and slung one leg over the edge of the roof with a morose shake of the head. No way they'd make it with that many corpses headed their way. He felt sorry for them. Then again, they really should've known better than to have an electric fence. Zombies were attracted to high pitch frequencies, and the electric storm would've amplified the hum of the fence by at least ten percent.

They were probably most definitely doomed, but... he couldn't just let them die. Even though Hinata knew helping others was stupid and would only get him killed, every time he thought about leaving a helpless survivor alone, he pictured his sister's face and couldn't bring himself to abandon them. Sympathy was idiotic, but... he would want someone to help him if he were in the same situation, wouldn't he?

Even though he was afraid, Hinata went back downstairs and packed up his things, heading down the back stairwell to avoid the horde. As he headed through the rain-soaked streets, he kept his eyes sharp, sweeping the surrounding area for danger. It was hard to keep focused in the rain, not to mention there was a zombie mob only a block away. He still wasn't used to them, even after three years.

Hinata couldn't even remember the last time he'd come across another survivor... He'd migrated south straight from Kasugai to Nagoya two months earlier and hadn't encountered a single soul. It made him wonder if there were any other people out there at all... Though apparently, there was—although he wasn't sure they were the brightest, considering the electric fence. The sniper on the roof seemed good enough: every shot he made went straight through the skull, sometimes two or three at once.

Shaking condensation from his hair, Hinata wrapped a long blue scarf around his head, concealing his hair, nose, and mouth for extra camouflage. Pausing by the shattered glass front of a construction shop, he snagged a sledgehammer, figuring it couldn't hurt to have another close-range weapon in case he lost his machete. With the extra protection, he felt a bit safer moving through the dark streets towards the mansion. The only problem that remained was how he would get past that electric fence...

As if the earth heard him, a loud boom of thunder sounded from above, and when Hinata tilted his head skyward, a large, stark bolt of lightning cut the heavens in half, striking the fence in a brilliant arc of flying sparks and hissing snakes of electricity battling for dominance. The fence lost out in a dazzling explosion of flare-like pinpricks of light, bathing the wet concrete in fizzling silver specks.

Hinata ran faster, knowing the horde—and him—would have nothing stopping them now. The sniper continued firing round after round from the roof, but the dozens he shot were quickly replaced, like sand filling back into a hole. As he approached, Hinata raised the heavy sledgehammer, jerked to a hard stop, and swung it as hard as he could at the nearest corpse in his way. Its head exploded, splattering blood amidst the sparks, and Hinata prayed he wouldn't get shot as he took a running leap, throwing the hammer over the edge as he scrambled over the fence and dropped safely onto the other side.

Just as he cleared it, the first wave of zombies clashed against the metal. Hinata scrambled backward as the fence creaked and warped in protest of the hundreds of hands pressing against it, clenching both hands around the hammer in anticipation. He could hear the sniper yelling something at him from the roof, but he blocked it out, shifting from foot to foot and evening his breathing, muscles aching impatiently for something to swing at.

He didn't have long to wait. In mere seconds, the clawing hands pried apart the metal bars and bodies came stumbling through. Shots from the sniper pinged around him as Hinata ran into the fray headlong, swinging the hammer into skull after skull, shucking the falling bodies to the side before moving on to the next. He weaved in and out of the crowd like a needle through fabric, knowing that if he stopped moving, he'd be overwhelmed within seconds.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and Hinata breathed deeper, moisture filling his lungs and a smile tugging at his lips.

* * *

Kageyama continued firing into the horde, cursing under his breath. That idiotic kid—what the _hell_ was he doing?! What kind of stupid, reckless, ignorant _dumbass_ ran headfirst into a swarm of zombies? Did he have a death wish? Wasn't he afraid of Kageyama accidentally shooting him, or, you know, being _eaten alive_? Any normal person would be.

Whatever the case, he didn't have time to worry about it: he had much bigger problems on his hands.

Raising his gun, Kageyama abandoned his nook and crawled back across the roof to the ladder, shooting off a few more rounds before heading down. With a mob of this size, he would have no choice but to fight up close. Strapping his gun across his back, he slid down the ladder and splashed onto solid ground, pulling an ax from his belt and sprinting towards the nearest zombie. He couldn't let them reach the front of the house.

Piking the corpse in the skull, he yanked out the ax blade and charged toward the next, delving into a dance of sharp turns and heavy swings. He lost sight of the stranger in the mess of bodies and migrated towards the back of the house, taking stock of the numbers in his head. There were six of them—including the stranger—versus about a hundred zombies. Definitely not great odds.

Ugh. This just _had_ to happen today, of all days. It was so much harder to fight in the rain, with the risk of slipping and the sight disadvantage. Kageyama had to dig his heel in with every step he made to keep from succumbing to the slick mud. He just kept telling himself that with every zombie he killed, there was one less to handle, which made it easier to ignore his aching shoulders and shaking arms. Snipers weren't made to have extreme stamina, and he was regretting that now.

"Kageyama!" One of his comrades cut through the mob— _literally_ —toward him, pausing to recover his breath, flicking blood from his tactical knife. "There are about forty left now. You should head back to the roof and do recon."

"Got it." He axed another zombie and headed back around the side of the house. He returned the ax to his waist and climbed back up the slick ladder two rungs at a time, sliding back down to the window and unslinging his rifle. Kageyama let out a loose breath, allowing his shoulders and arms to relax as he squinted through the scope and took aim. He fell into the familiar rhythm of swivel, fire, reload; everything else filtering away as his body went into autopilot, sore muscles basking in the familiar, repetitive motion.

By the time his consciousness seeped back in, there were only about a dozen zombies left wandering through the grounds. The other guards were nowhere to be seen: Kageyama guessed they were inside the house with the Madokas. He fired off one last round, taking out the remaining corpses before finally lowering his gun and returning to the ground. His eyes combed the ground, double-checking for stragglers, which is how he caught sight of the stranger.

He was a few feet away, and as he whipped his arm around like a slingshot, the blood-encrusted edge of his sledgehammer smashed into the last zombie's skull with the force of a 2-ton truck, sending decomposed yellow brains splattering across the drenched pavement. Exhaling, the kid straightened up, dropping the weapon to the ground unceremoniously and shaking out his arms. As he glanced over at Kageyama, his slanted eyes shone like polished amber, creating an eerie look through the gray haze of the rain.

As Kageyama trudged towards him, the boy unwound a blue scarf from his head, revealing a head of uncontrollable, fiery red hair and an angular, heart-shaped face. He tied the scarf back around his neck as Kageyama reached him, resting a hand on his hip. "You know, you really shouldn't have kept an electric fence going in this storm." He edged the dead zombie's torso with a booted foot. "The hum draws them in."

" _What_?" Kageyama studied him in irritation and slight disbelief. " _First of all_ , I played no part whatsoever in setting up the fence—I just work here—and secondly, who the _hell_ do you think you are, kid?" He slung his rifle over his shoulder and nailed the redhead with a glare. "You _basically_ just broke in here."

The boy scoffed. "What? As _if_. There's no such thing as 'breaking in' in the apocalypse." His thin lips pulled into a childish scowl. "No need to thank me for helping you or anything. And don't call me 'kid.' The name's Hinata Shōyō."

"Well, _Hinata Shōyō_ , we would've been just fine without you," Kageyama intoned dryly. This kid was surprisingly good at getting on his nerves, despite having only just met him; impressive, if it weren't so irritating. "What are you doing way out here by yourself, anyway? And what the hell were you thinking running straight into a horde like that, _huh_? How stupid _are_ you?"

A noise of indignation came from the back of Hinata's throat and his fists clenched like he was about ready to punch him. " _You're_ the stupid one! There's no way you could've taken care of that many zombies by yourself!" He kicked the zombie corpse angrily and muttered a string of curses, Kageyama watching on with an eyebrow raised. He really _was_ a kid; at least, based on the way he was acting. He was short, too.

"How old are you, anyway? Twelve?"

" _Wah_ —!" The boy shot him a petulant look. "You jerk! I'm sixteen!"

 _Older than me?!_ Kageyama thought in bewilderment. "No way. Don't lie."

"I'm not lying!" Hinata stamped his foot—not exactly supporting his outrageous statement. "Why are you such a _jerk_?!"

"I don't explain myself to liars," Kageyama said acridly, turning his back on him to stalk back towards the front of the house. He hoped the kid would just leave, but he followed after him stubbornly, like a persistent, redheaded cold. Usually, he had more patience than this, but the shrimp had somehow managed to dissolve every ounce of it within seconds. He really might shoot him if he didn't leave. "Just go away now. You've done enough."

"So you admit I helped?" Hinata followed him into the house, his tenacity driving Kageyama to click his tongue in annoyance.

He dug his fingernails into his palms and tried to focus on searching for his employers and the other guards, taking withdrawn breaths. _Don't shoot him, don't shoot him, don't shoot him, don't shoot him._ He repeated the mantra as he entered the drawing room, praying Hinata would sense his murderous vibes and retreat, but unfortunately, he seemed as dense as a pile of bricks and trailed behind Kageyama like a puppy at its master's heels as he headed into the adjoining room.

 _Maybe I can just shoot him in the foot._


	4. That's Rough, Buddy

**03**

 **•**

 **That's Rough, Buddy**

* * *

Hinata glared at the stranger's back as he trailed him through the house, thinly restraining the urge to stab him in the back with his machete. Honestly, what a conceited jerk. He'd helped him out and all he could do was insult him?

He tried to size him up as they walked, but it was like staring at a blank sheet of paper. He was about 17 centimeters taller, so Hinata guessed he was older, maybe eighteen, though it was monumentally hard to guess his age. He had an angular, sharp face, straight black hair, narrow blue-gray eyes, and the slight beginnings of a five o'clock shadow on his chin, but he had one of those faces that was both old and young.

He moved through the house with practiced tension, as if expecting an attack at any second. His eyes were so sharp and focused, Hinata was almost unnerved whenever they glanced his way. Maybe that was just the way snipers acted? It would make sense since they were supposedly laser-focused. Then again, this guy didn't really strike Hinata as a super-serious sniper—well, maybe super-serious, but not like _a killing machine_ or anything.

"Why are you _following me around_?" the boy eventually demanded, seemingly growing annoyed by his persistent presence. He spun on his heel and jabbed a finger into Hinata's chest with a glare. "Sure, you helped, whatever: now get lost before I shoot you in the leg and leave you for the corpses."

"That's no way to talk to your savior," Hinata scolded patronizingly. "Besides, would you really shoot someone right after they helped you? Surely you have _some_ morals left."

"You know, it's funny, but they all seem to disappear when annoying redheaded midgets show up," he responded sarcastically, returning to his task of sweeping the house and leaving Hinata steaming behind him. Still, he followed after him resolutely as he took to the stairs.

"You're seriously irritating. Just because I stepped on your little ego by helping you out, you're now threatening to kill me and denying that I helped you?" Hinata clicked his tongue when the sniper ignored him and quickened his pace. "Hey, you could _at least_ tell me your name."

"Why do you even want to know?" the boy responded irately, shooting him another sharp glance. He pulled out a pistol from the holster around his waist and Hinata flinched, though he didn't aim it his way. "If you're going to insist on sticking around, get a weapon and help me clear this place; otherwise, get out."

Hinata muttered obscenities under his breath as they reached the first floor, drawing a small Zev Glock 17 from his backpack and loading the chamber. "Fine, because I'm not leaving here until I get a scrap of decency from you, _stranger who refuses to tell me his name_."

" _Fine_ , alright?! It's Kageyama Tobio! Not _shut up_ and focus."

"Thank you," Hianta said with satisfaction, taking the other side of the doorway Kageyama was poised to enter. "Now, was that so— _Ooh_." He paused as the door was pushed open and a zombie came stumbling through, clawing and growling. Hinata kicked it in the back of the knee reflexively, shooting it in the skull when it went down. "Oh, sorry. Hope that wasn't someone you knew."

"I will _seriously_ shoot you," Kageyama scoffed as he stepped over the fallen corpse, quickly scanning the room before progressing down the hallway. Hinata followed behind him with a smug smile, feeling a hint of self-satisfaction as they stopped outside the next door.

Kageyama kept one finger poised over the trigger of his pistol as he kicked it open, but this one was clear. His shoulders didn't relax, however, expression remaining stoic as he headed for the stairs again. Hinata raised an eyebrow questioningly as he trailed behind him. "You sure are serious, aren't you? You're gonna get wrinkles if you always frown like that."

"There aren't many things to smile about," Kageyama responded gruffly, sidestepping a clumsy swipe from a gargling zombie as it careened down the stairs, kicking it in the back to send it tumbling over the railing to the marble floor far below. "In fact, your optimism is baffling. Please, tell me what you find so _cheerful_ about the apocalypse."

"I don't think it's _cheerful_ ," Hinata retorted petulantly, clicking his gun safety on and off—a nervous tick he'd started to develop. "It's just life. Stuff happened, and now it's a little harder to keep surviving. Why be depressed about something you can't change?"

It was true: Most people saw the apocalypse as the end of everything; but really, it was just like an earthquake or a wild fire. It made living conditions harder, but it wasn't _impossible_ to stay alive. Hinata figured as long as he could keep fighting, he would stay alive, and that really wasn't so bad, was it? After everything he'd lost, he only valued his own life even more. _Somebody_ had to stick around to remember what things were like before.

But Kageyama didn't seem to share his sentiment. "That's the _stupidest_ thing I've ever heard. I figured you were nuts jumping over the fence like that, and now my theory's been confirmed."

Instead of arguing, Hinata simply huffed and crossed his arms, staring at the muscles in Kageyama's back contracting as they climbed. How _irritating_. This guy really didn't have any manners, did he? And he didn't even seem concerned about his friends living in the house, either—although, maybe they weren't exactly his _friends_.

He'd said something about 'working' there earlier, but Hinata had assumed he wasn't serious, considering jobs didn't really exist anymore. Looking around at the mansion, though, maybe he really _did_ work for whoever owned it. It did seem plausible that a bunch of rich guys wouldn't be willing to pick up guns and put themselves in danger—but money was worthless now, so why bother working for them?

He thought about asking, but figured Kageyama wasn't feeling particularly talkative. He did, however, not appear to want him dead anymore, as he pushed Hinata flat against the wall. "Zombie." He stepped forward and shot its head off as it came running down the hall, blowing stray strands of raven hair out of his face in annoyance as he studied the corpse's face. "Ah, what a pain... Looks like I just lost my job."

Hinata bent over beside him, although he failed to find any shred of recognition for the fallen corpse, as Kageyama must've. "Hmm. Well, sucks for you, huh?"

* * *

As Kageyama headed back to the staircase and towards the mansion's top floor, Hinata trailed after him, whistling softly. So far, they hadn't run into any living people, and a few he'd shot had been recognizable—the last being his (previous) employer, Mr. Madoka. So much for his sweet setup.

"So what are you gonna do now?"

Kageyama clicked his tongue and shot a rough glance over his shoulder at the persistent redheaded annoyance still following him. "Why are you still _here_?"

"You must take classes in how to be a jerk," Hinata huffed. He side-stepped a swiping zombie that came careening down the corridor and fiddled with the safety on his pistol before giving up and slamming the barrel into the corpse's head as hard as he could. He stomped on its head a few times after it fell before flicking the blood from his boots angrily.

"Umm..." Kageyama watched him with raised brows, coughing awkwardly. "Well then... I guess you can... stay?" He was a bit hesitant to mess with him after _that_. Geez. Maybe this kid had anger issues, on top of everything else. He still had to hold his ground a little, though, so he put on his best stern face. "As long as you stay out of my way and don't get me killed."

"Wow, you know, my impression of you grows more and more favorable by the second," Hinata responded sarcastically, flipping off his pistol's safety. "And you don't seem particularly upset that, you know, _everyone you know is dead_."

"How about you mind your own business," Kageyama snapped, kicking open the first door on the top floor. "And it's not like I _like_ these people. They gave me food, I protected them: It was only temporary." He cast a glance back at the redhead after assuring that the room was clear. "And you: Where did _you_ come from, exactly?"

Immediately, his expression changed, at once guarded and inexpressive. Kageyama observed the change with a raised brow as the boy lowered his gaze, giving an obscure answer. "Ah... well, I wandered here from the west a while ago."

"By yourself?" Kageyama questioned, trying to keep his tone indifferent as he headed towards the next door. "Must've been tough for a shrimpy kid like you." Really, Kageyama knew all too well how tough it was. He'd been alone from the beginning, and he got the feeling that maybe Hinata had, too. It would explain why he was guarded about the topic.

"I'm not even going to validate that with a response," the boy said, annoyance creeping back into his voice. "You know, I could seriously shoot you in the back right now, and you're not even worried about that a _little_ bit?"

"Not really, no." Kageyama kicked open the door and immediately jumped back as a zombie came lurching out. He cursed and raised his gun, but the zombie grabbed his arm and he stumbled back, losing his footing on a stupid ornamental rug. He raised his arms to block, but realized a little too late that the extra cloth he usually used to cover his forearms had been dislodged, leaving his left wrist exposed.

Before he even had the chance to panic or come up with another plan, Hinata reacted, reaching out to grab the zombie by the neck and throwing it to the ground, stomping on its skull with the heel of his boot and splattering decomposed brains across the floor—and Kageyama's cheek.

The redhead stood above him, arms crossed. "So, _still_ think you don't need my help?"

Kageyama clicked his tongue and flipped himself back to his feet, ignoring Hinata's proferred hand and wiping the gore from his face. He pulled the black bandanna back over his mouth with a glare the shorter boy's direction, pulling the fabric covering back down over his arm. He retrieved his gun and stalked past him angrily. "I would've been _fine_. I've always got a backup plan."

"You really are _unbelievable_!" Hinata exclaimed, chasing after him as he kicked down all the other doors in the hall. "I mean, you have absolutely _zero_ people skil—" A huge, resounding _boom!_ cut him off mid-speech, and both of them stumbled into the walls as the mansion shook, plaster raining down from the ceiling like snow.

"What the hell was that?!" Kageyama righted himself and sprinted down the hall to peer out the windows, squinting through the darkness of the rain. He could barely make out the electrical shed at the edges of the property, flickering white flames consuming the structure: It must've been struck by lightning, which meant...

"Oh, shit." He backed away from the window quickly, nearly tripping over Hinata in his haste. He turned, shoving the redhead ahead of him frantically. "Go, go! We have to run!"

"R-run?" Hinata stammered in confusion as Kageyama dragged him roughly back towards the stairs. "Why are we runn—"

"The _generator_ , dumbass!" Kageyama interrupted impatiently. "Dammit, you're going too slow!" Ignoring his attempts at further communication, Kageyama grabbed Hinata and threw him over his shoulder, sprinting full-speed down the staircase and back the way they had come, cursing under his breath.

 _Damn_. This really had been a great setup. He should've known something so convenient wouldn't last. There wasn't even time to grab any supplies, other than the ones he already had on him. With the stuff in his backpack, he only had provisions for another two to three days... but at least he had his dad's rifle. As long as that was with him, he was confident he would survive.

At least, he would— _if_ he got out of this place in the next thirty seconds.

Luckily, the gate had already been torn off its hinges by the mob, and with a burst of adrenaline-fueled speed, Kageyama leaped over the remains and rolled across the rain-soaked pavement, sheltering Hinata, right as the generator blew. He lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut as sparks and burning rubble cut smoking paths through the rain, spiraling over his head.

It took several minutes before the chain reactions stopped, rubble settling as the remnants of the fire were distinguished by the rain. Kageyama lifted his head, gasping from the adrenaline. The mansion's front wall had entirely collapsed, a piece of the combusted generator smoldering amidst the remains.

Hinata coughed, shifting beneath him. "Well that... really _sucked_."


	5. Born to be Wild

**04**

 **•**

 **Born to be Wild**

* * *

Hinata stood beside Kageyama, both of them staring at the decimated remains of the former mansion. The rain was soaking into his shoes and Hinata really wanted to head back to the hotel to get out of the downpour, but he felt a little bad for Kageyama, who looked like he wanted to shoot something and scream in anguish at the same time.

 _I must be nicer than I thought._ Hinata sighed inwardly and held out a hand. "Hey... you can come and hole up with me for a while if you have nowhere else to go." He prayed Kageyama wouldn't say something asshole-ish enough to make him revoke the already regrettable offer.

But he only sighed, tearing his hood off to run a hand roughly through his damp hair. "You probably shouldn't stick around here." (He was ignoring the offer, Hinata noted sullenly.) "After that explosion, every zombie within twenty miles will be drawn to this place."

"I guess you're right." Hinata frowned at the decrepit remains of the burning mansion. "So... are you coming with me or not? You'll probably die if you stay here alone."

"Die?" Kageyama scoffed, adjusting the strap of his rifle. "As _if_." He paused. "I... _suppose_ I'll come with you. But don't think this makes us _allies_ or _friends_ or anything idiotic like that." He slung his rifle over his shoulder, ramming Hinata's shoulder as he passed. "I work _alone_. Always have, always will."

"You sound so emo," Hinata snorted, jogging ahead of him. "You don't even know where we're headed, so you can stop trying to look cool. Who spit in your apocalyptic cornflakes, anyway?"

He slowed to a walk and Kageyama grumbled something under his breath that was undoubtedly supremely offensive before shooting him a terse glare. "Why are you so _nosy_? You act like Armageddon is just an everyday occurrence for you. Aren't you depressed, hopeless, _wallowing in self-pity_ , et cetera?"

"What's the point in _that_?" Hinata kicked a piece of asphalt with the toe of his scuffed boot, watching it skitter over the cracks in the road. "If you do that, you're basically dead already. I still want to live, even if I have to fight for it." He shrugged. "Being alive is one reason to be hopeful, isn't it?"

Kageyama said nothing for several seconds. "You're incredibly odd, you know." Hinata caught him in the tiniest of smiles. "Like, _incredibly_."

"Well, you're incredibly mysterious," he replied, walking backward to shoot Kageyama a teasing grin. "You wouldn't even tell me your name at first, and you might just be the best sniper I've ever seen. _But_ you're also a tremendous jerk," he added before Kageyama could get too full of himself.

"You know I can still shoot you, right?" he replied dryly. "Hey, don't laugh. I'm not kidding. I can't stand this irritating _cheerfulness_."

"You're certainly an interesting person." Hinata swung back around, still smiling, and began scouting for enemies in their path. Kageyama was by far the most interesting person he'd ever met, apocalypse or no. "I never knew people went around hiring bodyguards nowadays. Doesn't seem like a very permanent job."

"There's no such thing as ' _permanent_ ' anymore," Kageyama muttered. "I do what I have to do to survive. Isn't that what _you_ do?"

"I guess so." Hinata paused to double-check their bordering side alleyways for zombies before leading Kageyama down the next block toward his old campsite.

He couldn't seem to get any information out of him. Kageyama had a sarcastic, deflective answer prepared for every question he could think to ask. He was harder to break into than that house he'd been guarding—which, of course, only made Hinata want to try even more.

"So, if you're going to be traveling with me... I think we should get to know each other a bit."

Kageyama scoffed. "What, are you taking me home to meet your parents or something? This isn't a first date. I'm going with you because it's mutually beneficial—no other reason."

"That's cold," Hinata joked, ducking through a ruptured chain link fence to reach the hotel's back entrance. "Don't worry: I'd never go on a date with you, anyway." He kicked open the door and flashed a saccharine smile. "You're not really my type."

"Hey—!" Kageyama rammed into the door when Hinata kicked it closed and slipped in behind him with an aggravated grunt. "You're a thousand times more annoying than I thought— _Ow_."

"Oh, yeah: watch out for that fallen ceiling beam."

" _Now_ you tell me."

Hinata snickered to himself and carefully clamored over a pile of concrete rubble, jumping across the ten-foot gap to reach the broken remnants of the stairs. Loose marble tumbled to the floor with a loud crash and Kageyama looked up at him incredulously. "Will that stairwell even hold us both?"

"Either come up here and find out or stay down there with the zombies all night," Hinata hummed, waving at him flippantly as he moved farther up the stairs. "Your choice."

"Dammit," Kageyama grumbled irritably under his breath. There was the sound of running feet before a loud, uncomfortable-sounding impact. Kageyama cursed loudly as several more pieces of marble broke off, stumbling farther up the stairs.

Hinata found his allusive cat-like attitude much funnier than he should've. "I'm a little surprised you survived so long if you're afraid of climbing a staircase," he quipped. "Don't tell me you've never had to climb anything before."

"I... don't like heights," Kageyama grumbled, barely loud enough to be heard. He kicked the railing irritably, sending marble showering down on their heads. "Why don't you just shut up. How much farther is your dumb camp, anyway?"

"Top floor," Hinata told him, trying not to get annoyed at his brash words. He could tell Kageyama was the type of person who'd lost his people skills in the apocalypse—if he'd ever had any to begin with. He'd just have to be patient and eventually, he'd break him out of his shell.

If they didn't kill each other first, of course.

* * *

Kageyama had to admit that Hinata was pretty smart. Camping out high up was a good strategy—not to mention it was impossible to reach unless you were daring enough to climb up a sketchy stairwell. Even though he was a dumbass, he was at least a prepared one.

They exited the stairwell on one of the hotel's highest floors and Hinata flopped down beside a broken window, slinging a leg carelessly over the edge. Kageyama set his stuff down a few feet away, eyeballing him warily. "You must have a thing for heights."

"Height means safety." Hinata swung himself around into a crisscrossed position and grinned up at him. "Scared?"

"As if." Kageyama crossed his arms and leaned against the wall to keep from reaching for his gun. He hadn't dealt with other people in so long, his impulse control was pretty out of whack.

He'd probably have to work on that... Until then, the most important thing to do was come up with a new plan. He hadn't survived so long by going with the flow—which was probably why he didn't get along well with a presumable drifter like Hinata. People without plans were people who wouldn't live long.

"So, what are you going to do from here?" he asked, pushing aside his thoughts to focus on the problem. He moved away from the wall and crouched beside him, peering out at the rain. "Another horde will reform eventually. The rain always draws them out."

Hinata slung an arm around his neck with a long sigh. "I was already planning on moving out, but I didn't expect to have another person with me. We need to get clear of the city limits, so we'll need supplies—and a vehicle."

 _Huh, so he's not so much of a drifter, after all..._ Kageyama cut him a sidelong glance. "I know where we could get both. How soon do we move out?"

"Night will be falling soon." Hinata scooted across the floor to unzip his pack. He tossed Kageyama a ratty red blanket that had more holes than usable square feet. "I suggest we get some sleep and head out early tomorrow when it's the quietest."

Kageyama threw him back the blanket. "You go ahead. I'll keep watch." As if he trusted this kid enough to sleep and leave himself vulnerable. Was he an idiot?

"Whatever." Hinata simply shrugged, throwing himself down beside the window. He propped up his backpack like a pillow and within seconds of hitting the ground, he was out like a light.

"What the hell..." Kageyama pulled off his rifle and slid down the wall. "What a weirdo."

The wind howled outside like an orphaned wolf cub, rain berating the sides of the hotel like zombies pounding against glass doors. Lightning flashed across the walls like eerie camera flashes, illuminating piles of broken rubble and ripped canvas blowing in the wind. The world had never looked eerier.

The storm lasted all night, and by the time Kageyama realized it was morning, the downpour had let up into a light drizzle. He shifted, disgusted by his damp clothes, and cracked his stiff joints. Hinata was still passed out by the window, his ratty blanket dusted with droplets of moisture.

Stretching uncomfortably, Kageyama got up and nudged him with his foot. "Hey." He nudged him again. "Get up."

When he didn't stir, Kageyama grabbed the blanket and pulled it off him impatiently. "Oi, I said wake up!"

With a gasp, Hinata jumped upright and before he knew it, a bullet whizzed right past Kageyama's head. He barely managed to duck in time, crashing into the wall with a loud shout. " _What the hell_?!"

Hinata stared up at him, breathless and wild-eyed. After several breaths, he slowly lowered his gun, hiding his shaking hands in the red blanket. "You... shouldn't wake people like that." He tried for a smile, but it wasn't very believable. "I'm not really a morning person."

Kageyama wanted to protest further, but the haunted look on Hinata's face was enough to dissuade him. It looked like he'd seen a ghost—which was saying something in the zombie apocalypse. Kageyama had his fair share of skeletons in the closet, and he wouldn't force anyone else to relive theirs. They probably both had things they'd rather not dredge up.

Instead of saying something indignant, Kageyama turned away to give the redhead some space. He retrieved his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "I'll... go scout the block. Meet me by the train station."

He disappeared down the hall before Hinata could respond, clutching the strap of his rifle. _He_ was the one who was mysterious. He kept trying to pry, but it seemed more like he wanted to deflect the attention away from himself. Kageyama hated being attached to anyone or anything, but he couldn't help but be curious.

Stumbling back down the uneven stairwell, Kageyama slid down to the floor and found his way back outside. The wet wind gusted into his face and he pulled up his hood, re-securing a black bandanna around his mouth and nose. This type of weather was absolutely vile.

"Now, where to find a ride..." he muttered, pushing aside thoughts of Hinata and the storm.

He remembered seeing an old mechanics shop a few blocks south of the Madokas' place: He could probably find something there. A small, lightweight motorcycle would be ideal if they wanted to keep the noise level to a minimum.

 _Mechanics shop it is._ Kageyama retrieved a pistol from his backpack and restocked the clip before heading south. Although there didn't appear to be any zombies around, he was still uneasy after that huge horde. Rain always drew them out, and the storm looked like it could start up again any second.

Besides, after how much noise they'd caused that morning, there was bound to be corpses lurking around somewhere close. What was that old saying, again?

'Bad things always come in threes.'

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for the late release on this chapter! I've started classes again so I won't be able to update much. Anyway, hope you guys liked the chapter, and I hope to release more for this and other stories fairly soon ^-^


	6. On the Road Again

**05**

 **•**

 **On the Road Again**

* * *

Hinata made his way down the road slowly, picking through shattered storefronts looking for usable supplies. He wasn't sure how long they'd be traveling, but the nearest town to Nagoya was Kanie, but they weren't likely to find much there. Beyond that were Yatomi and Aisai, but Hinata had never been to either of those, and he'd rather not risk visiting a place he'd never explored.

"This is harder than I thought…" he mumbled to himself, kicking a piece of concrete and watching it skitter over the cracks in the road. The piece lodged on a pipe lying in the road and Hinata jumped over it, keeping an eye out for a utility or convenience store.

Nagoya was big enough that most avoided it, but it had still been picked clean by the few willing to venture deep inside the city limits. Hinata was forced to travel further and further down the block, until he was nearly back to Nagoya Station.

As he approached the entrance, there was a sharp boom of thunder and before he could blink, the sky opened up like a floodgate. Hinata yelped, quickly covering his head as he stumbled into the nearest shop. The sky had turned as black as night in an instant, lightning flashing and wind howling like a hungry wolf.

Hinata retreated further into the shop, peering around as he tied his scarf tightly around his neck. There were broken dishes littering the ground and a ripped, bloody apron lying across a dusty table: It must've been a restaurant.

Rain poured in from holes in the walls, pooling on the floor and seeping through the sagging floor. The whole structure looked like it could come down at any second—but it also probably had supplies, and Hinata knew he couldn't return to Kageyama empty-handed. He felt like he had to prove himself: to show that he was more than just a 'reckless kid,' as the sniper saw him.

"There must be food around here _somewhere_ ," he muttered to himself, wading through the rubble toward the swinging kitchen doors in the back of the restaurant. Rainwater kept dripping on his head from holes in the ceiling foundation, sliding down his neck and sending uncomfortable shivers down his spine.

Hinata quickly wiped the droplets away and ducked into the kitchen, nearly smacking face-first into a dangling ceiling beam. After a second of recovery, he ducked underneath to reach the gutted body of the kitchen.

Pots and pans were scattered across the floor and the strong scent of decaying rats was strong enough to make Hinata gag. He covered his nose with another layer of cloth, stepping carefully over fallen dishes to avoid making a sound. "It looks like a tornado went through here," he muttered to himself, turning sideways to slip behind an overturned bakery rack. "It must've been looted already."

The further back he got, the worse the place looked, but there was a room in the back labeled 'Dry Storage' and it spurred his hope. Hinata stumbled less carefully over the rest of the scattered equipment to reach it. "There's gotta be something in he— eeEHHHH!" He jumped back with a yelp as a zombie came crashing through the door from the other side as soon as he moved the handle.

Hinata scrambled back, reaching for his gun, but his foot slipped on a pot and he stumbled into the baking rack. He lost his balance, falling flat over it and scraping his back in the process. " _Ack—_ " he barely managed to complain before the zombie was on him.

It scrabbled at his arms, teeth gnashing together loudly, and he held it back while kicking his legs in an attempt to throw it off. It's empty, sightless eyes stared into his very soul as he scrambled to keep its teeth away from his neck. He couldn't reach his gun. "Get off— Get off me!"

The corpse was unusually strong. Almost like it had a strategy, it tried to grab his forearms to hold them back, snapping viciously at his exposed face. Hinata craned his neck back as far as he could, feeling the sharp metal rack bite into it painfully. He'd never seen a zombie act so… _smart_ before.

"Dang it." He managed to get his knees between them, but the zombie weighed a ton and Hinata wasn't strong enough to kick it off. It was just like that time...

He could see Izumi and Kōji's blood staining the grass and hear the faint screams of his classmates; feel the cold weight of a rock in his hand, blood dripping between his fingers. _I can't die here. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't._

" _No_!" he shouted aloud, ramming his elbow into the metal. The sharp pain snapped himself out of the memory and back into the harsh reality. "There is _no way_ I'm gonna die in some crappy restaurant!" He moved to punch the zombie hard in the nose with one hand, reaching for his gun with the other.

He got his fingers around it, but the freaking _safety_ was on—after almost shooting Kageyama that morning, he'd switched it on to avoid feeling guilty. _Dammit, freakin' Kageyama!_

The zombie quickly knocked it out of his hand and it slid across the floor, disappearing underneath the burned-out shell of an industrial baking oven. Hinata was seriously considering just letting himself die at that point. His whole family was probably rolling over in their graves.

"How about we call it a truce?" he suggested shakily to the zombie.

It, of course, tried to kill him instead of replying. Its teeth dove for his jugular and Hinata scrambled with his hand, grabbing a metal serving tray and jamming it between the snapping jaws moments before disaster. He could've said a snappy one-liner, but his brain was firing at about a million times its normal speed. All he could think was, _This is bad, this is bad, this is really bad,_ which clearly wasn't helping very much.

"Wow, are you _actually_ stupid?"

For a minute, Hinata couldn't place the voice. Then, he tilted his head upside-down to find Kageyama standing in the doorway, eyebrow raised. " _Kageyama_? Wha— _aIEE_!" The zombie spit out the mangled tray and Hinata squealed as it aimed for his throat again. "Are you gonna help or what?!"

"This is pitiful." Kageyama pushed himself away from the doorway and pulled out his pistol, waving it unhelpfully beside his head. "Should I kill it, or do you want to salvage your dignity?" He extended the gun, but the zombie grabbed his arm when Hinata tried to reach for it.

"What the—" Kageyama's eyes widened and he quickly cocked the pistol, putting a bullet straight between the zombie's eyes before it could bite Hinata. He gasped as its dead weight crushed him, gagging on the strong stench of blood as Kageyama dragged him out by the arms.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded, gesturing at the fallen corpse with his gun. "Did it just… _stop you_?"

"Don't ask me." Hinata didn't look at him, retrieving his gun from underneath the oven. He hid his shaking hand in his sweatshirt pockets before Kageyama could see them. "Let's just go… There's nothing here."

He ducked back through the destroyed kitchen, Kageyama hesitating a moment before following after him.

Hinata shivered as they ducked out into the rain, trying to shake off the overpowering sense of shock. Whatever had happened with that zombie, there was definitely something weird going on...

* * *

Kageyama could tell he was shaken. His eyes kept combing their surroundings, and it wasn't cold enough for him to be shaking so much. He felt a little bad about teasing him. Everyone had careless moments, and making fun of him definitely wouldn't assure Hinata of his trustworthiness.

Still, what that zombie had done… It made him very uneasy. The way it had grabbed Hinata's arm like that wasn't normal. It was almost as if it had known what he was doing and was stopping him, but… that wasn't possible. Corpses weren't supposed to be _smart_.

Kageyama wanted to ask Hinata about it, but he still wouldn't look at him. Whatever had happened before he had arrived had clearly unnerved him, and asking him about it was out of the question. Maybe he would open up about it if Kageyama left it alone for a while.

"Hey…" He cleared his throat and tried again. "Hey, I found us a motorcycle. It's lightweight and won't take much gas or make much noise. It should get us to at least the edge of Ōharu."

"Ōharu," Hinata repeated quietly. The faintest smile crossed his face, and Kageyama felt the tension in his chest lessen with the gesture. "Huh… I didn't think of there."

 _The air of tension is gone. Good._ It would be way too awkward if they were silent the whole ride to Ōharu. Besides, he was dead-set on cracking the mystery of Hinata. He clearly had secrets to hide, and nobody could withhold their demons back forever. Kageyama could never resist mysteries.

"You have a weird look on your face," Hinata told him bluntly. "Y'know, I'm starting to think you're a secret pervert or something, Kageyama-kun."

Kageyama choked on his own breath. "Wha— What the hell is with that all of a sudden?! I'm not a pervert!"

"That's exactly what a pervert would say." Hinata hugged himself dramatically. "Maybe we shouldn't travel together, after all. I'm a bit worried about your constitution."

"Do you wanna die?" Kageyama hissed, hiding his blush in his jacket. "I'm about to pistol-whip you."

Hinata snickered. "Relax, I'm just kidding. Unless you really are a pervert, then I'll kill you."

"I'd like to see you try," Kageyama scoffed. "I just saved you a few minutes ago, remember that?"

"Didn't count," Hinata denied, moving past him confidently. "I saved you like twice, so I still have a one-up on you."

" _What_?" Kageyama chased after him angrily. "Hey, that's not how it works, dumbass!" He pulled Hinata back by the arm as they approached the entrance to the station. "Hey, don't just go barging in. It could be dangerous."

"Aww, are you concerned?" Hinata teased him lightly. He patted him on the shoulder with a smug smile. "Don't worry: you can just _pistol-whip_ the zombies."

Kageyama bit back a reply and skulked after him with a click of the tongue. _This kid… He's got a million different sides to him. First he was upset, and now he's being sarcastic? I don't get him at all._

"Hey, why are _you_ the one leading us, anyway?" He pulled Hinata back by the collar and stalked past him. " _I'm_ the one who knows where the motorcycle is."

"Alright, fine: _lead_ away."

They headed around the back of the station to the main road, where Kageyama had parked the motorcycle outside an old athletics store. "We don't have much supplies, but Ōharu is only about thirty minutes away." Kageyama grabbed a helmet and offered it to him. "I hear there's a weapons factory near there. I've been wanting to check it out for a while."

"A weapon's factory? You're going to risk it?" Hinata frowned, strapping on the helmet. "I bet it's totally infested."

"What, _now_ you choose to become nervous?" Kageyama threw up the motorcycle's kickstand and revved the engine. "Hurry up and get on."

"You're way too demanding," Hinata told him, but he got on anyway. He hesitated a moment before wrapping his arms around Kageyama's waist. "Do you even know the way?"

Kageyama, fighting back an inexplicable blush, pulled onto the road. The rain gusting into his face helped control the sudden heat. "Yeah, I think so. I've been near there once or twice before."

They pulled onto the highway and Kageyama felt Hinata's arms tighten around him as they picked up speed. It was hard to see through the rain, which turned torrential with their extra momentum, and Kageyama hunched over the handlebars to see more clearly. "Just keep an eye out. We should know the factory when we see it. It's supposed to take up an odd twelve miles of land directly northwest of here."

"Wait." Hinata pointed over his shoulder at a hazy dot on the horizon: a supermarket parking lot. "Maybe we should stop there to check for supplies first."

Kageyama covered his eyes to peer through the rain. "No way. Look at that huge hoard surrounding it."

"Whoa…" Hinata whistled through his teeth. "What do you think they're after in there?"

"Must be a group of survivors," Kageyama decided. "Nothing else would rile them up like that. We shouldn't risk it."

"We can't just leave them in there," Hinata protested loudly in his ear, throwing his weight forward. "We should help them!"

"Oi!" Kageyama grimaced and held him back. "Are you trying to _kill_ us?! Sit back down!"

"Not until you agree to help!" Hinata reached up to cover his eyes and Kageyama swerved.

" _Dumbass—_ You're insane!" He pushed Hinata's hands off before they could end up in the ditch. "Alright, fine: _we'll help_!"

"Yay!" Hinata's hand returned to his waist and Kageyama resisted the urge to brake hard enough to send him flying.

It seemed almost inevitable that they'd end up killing each other.

* * *

 **A/N:** Finally got around to finishing this chapter! I hope you guys liked it. I'm honestly so in love with Kags in this, he's just the sassiest human left on the earth and I love it.


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